Off Topic . . . What is in your wallet?

Have you checked your wallet lately to see exactly what the world would know about you if it were lost or stolen? Take a few minutes and ponder that question.

 

Fate would have it on Friday morning that my wallet fell out of the door pocket of my vehicle. Years ago, I stopped carrying a purse, as I tended to sit it down while out and about. I felt a wallet in my pocket was safer and I developed the habit of sticking it in the door pocket when I returned to the vehicle. As serendipity would have it, recent high winds gave me a little extra help in shutting the door in a parking lot at 7:30 a.m., Friday morning. I did not note the loss of the wallet until my late afternoon appointment with my vision specialist. Believing the best of my fellow men, I fully expected it to be in my mailbox when I arrived home or to be soon delivered by the party who found it.

           

As I entered my home, I saw the blinking message light on the phone. Aha, the finder had called to leave me a message via the family/friend phone numbers in the wallet. Alas and alack . . . the first message was a recorded message from my credit union wanting to verify a purchase of over $1000 and subsequent denied attempts for repeated $500 money orders. No, my bank account is not that big, but it does tie to my savings account in the event I overspend my account limit. I thought I only had one credit card in the wallet, but subsequent messages alerted me to the fact that I had two and they both had already been “hit”, with the recorded messages seeking to verify the purchases. Through the power of technology and plastic, banking institutions suspected fraud five hours before I became aware of the loss of the wallet.

Deep, slow breathing as I called the institution numbers and responded via the touchtone selections to indicate the purchases were fraudulent; requesting a stop be placed on my cards (a lengthier procedure, as I had to listen to them advertising their antifraud programs; a good time to pick up clients . . . while the client is in a panic mode and vulnerable!). I actually spoke to “real live people” on two calls. In a matter of 20 minutes, I had reported to all three automated credit-reporting bureaus. Each indicated they would share information with the others (I was not taking any chances!) and I would receive a typed report within a week. I was able to file a police report over the telephone and was reassured that I only had to supply a report number if police stopped me before I had my license replaced (whew!).

After the initial disbelief and frantic action period, I was surprised to find I felt uncomfortable in my own home. Someone out there knows where I live, what I look like, my profession, where I work, my insurance coverage, knows family members from pictures, and phone numbers of people close to me. Would they try to burgle my home while I was at work? As I made rounds that night, locking doors and windows, I contemplated what the thieves would do with the information after they were no longer able to access my accounts . . . sell it to professionals? For that reason, I will supply the credit report agencies with a copy of the police report to extend the verification of my account purchases from 90 days to 7 years. A professional identity thief could sit on my personal information for a few years and then set up bogus accounts. I have heard accounts from friends of identity theft and the years it took to clear up their records.

Discovering these losses after business hours and on a weekend increases the inconvenience. I will need to present myself and personal identification at the bank and some stores on the next business day (Monday - Friday). The credit cards institutions, however, will be sending me new cards this week. Fortunately, the DMV was open on Saturday morning, and I was in and out within 20 minutes (unheard of speed), with a printed temporary license; the actual license will be mailed within a week. I was panicking about producing identification, but I took my social security card, a credit card, and utility bills and had no difficulty. Of course, my picture and all other information were in their computer for their verification. I did not even have to take a new photo.

Although I have not been a proponent of agencies tracking my activities and having access to my vital information, this incident showed me the positive benefits. Amazingly fast, they were aware that there was a deviation from my usual patterns and practices and they “circled the wagons”.

I may be disappointed in the person(s) who found my wallet, but I still expect people to behave in a moral manner. I am always surprised when people do not live up to those expectations . . . but I refuse to lower my standards and beliefs. So, take a look in your wallet as a precaution and consider what you would like a stranger to know about you!

Lessons learned:

• Clean out that wallet . . . do not carry unnecessary personal information (FOR SURE, do not carry your SSN!!). Consider how the information you do carry could be used for nefarious purposes.
• Limit the credit and debit cards you carry.
• Have the credit card reporting phone numbers and / or web site information handy . . . shock slows down your logical thinking:
  ·         Equifax (www.equifax.com)
  P.O. Box 740241
  Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
  1-800-685-1111 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-800-685-1111      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-800-685-1111      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
  ·         Experian (www.experian.com)
  P.O. Box 2104
  Allen, TX 75013-0949
  1-888-EXPERIAN begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-888-EXPERIAN      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-888-EXPERIAN      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (397-3742)
  ·         Trans Union (www.transunion.com)
  P.O. Box 1000
  Chester, PA 19022
  1-800-916-8800 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-800-916-8800      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-800-916-8800      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

• Notify Federal Identity Theft Hotline: (877) IDTHEFT begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (877) IDTHEFT      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (877) IDTHEFT      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (877-438-4338 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            877-438-4338      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            877-438-4338      end_of_the_skype_highlighting); only open during normal working business hours, Monday - Friday

• Know the number of your closest police substation, or call 311 (non-emergency number)

Great advice on preventing the problem in the future:

·         make a front and back photocopy of everything in your wallet

·         keep a list of all account numbers in a safe place

·         also keep a list of contact info for each account

·         never print your social security number on your checks

·         never print your driver's license number on your checks

·         don't carry your social security card in your wallet

·         don't use your social security number for your driver's license number

·         have only your first initial and last name printed on your checks

·         print your work phone number and address on your checks

·         change your account passwords regularly

·         never throw away statements with account numbers (always shred)

·         never throw away papers with your social security number (always shred)

Copyright 2000-2009 Ramona Creel -- you are welcome to reprint any article, but you MUST include this resource box. http://www.onlineorganizing.com/ExpertAdviceToolboxTips.asp?tipsheet=64

Suggested Website resources:

FTC.gov site: Defent: ecover from Identify Theft

http://ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html

Excellent web site (print out for future reference) http://www.identitytheftlabs.com/stolen-wallet-purse/

Identify Theft Factsheet: What to do if it happens to you

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm#tips